Game of skill



Mar. 6, 192s. A, 1,447,363.

B. F. TozlER. GAME 0F SKILL.

FILED OCT. 3,1921. 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

,47m/aveva.

Mar. 6, 1923.

1,447,363. B. F. TozlER.

GAME 0F SKILLl FILED OCT. 3.1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Mar. 6, 1923.

BENJAMIN F. TOZIER, OF VENICE, CALIFORNIA.

GAME or SKILL.

Applicationledctober 3, 1921. Serial No. 504,950.

To all Lu/710m t may concern Be it knovvn that l, BENJAMIN F. Tozrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Venice, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Game 0f Skill7 of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to amusement devices in which competing objects are caused to travel along courses, the speed of travel thereof being determined bythe skill ofthe operators in manipulating certain mechanisms connected therewith.

lt is an object of my invention .to provide a game in which the competing objects are guided throughout an irregular course by the respective players participating therein.

lt is a further object of this invention to provide agame of this character in which the ordinary Vspeed of travel `of thecompeting objects may be controlled by the players.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide such a game in which the speed of travel of the competing objects' will be altered upon their passing' outside `the boundaries of their respective courses.

It is also an object of this invention to- `provide such a game in `Which all the coinpeting objects Will be stopped uponfthe'end of the course being reachediby any one of y the objects.

And'it is a further object of my invention to provide in such a game an indicating device Which Will denote the Winner of the competition, thereby eliminating all cause for dispute upon'the part ofthe players participating therein.

Further objects and advantages Will be made evident hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings which are for illustrative purposes only,

Figure 1 is an elevational sectional view of a gaine embodying my invention taken upon a 4plane represented by the line 1-1 of Fig. 2`

Fig. 2 is la plan view corresponding to Fig. 1, a portion thereof being in sect-ion upon a plane represented by the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, to disclose part of the operating mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a. diagrammatic plan view illustrat-ing a portion o f the steering mechanism employed in connection With my device.

Fig. -i is a fragmentary view illustrating vhousing 35 of the automobile.

describedVA and illustrated.

in this presentation of the embodiment of `my invention `lshoiv a number of competing objects consistingof miniature automobiles llmounted upon a sloping-table 12. Upon the table 12a number of irregularcourses 13 are laid out, and channels 14, centrally located with respect to the courses 13, are formed'in the table 12. It is the idea in this invention that the players `participating therein shall-steer the automobiles as near centrally as possible along 'their `respective coursesby manipulating the steering Wheels 15 which entend from a suitably located table 16. i

In Fig. e land the accompanying figures provided to yfurther.illustrate the construction shown in Fig. t I show a form vof construction which may be employed in connection with the automobiles 11. Upon ,the front vaxle 2O are 4mounted Wheels 21 by means of steering knuckles 22and vertically projecting through a lug 23 extending-from the axle 2O'` is a shaft 24 adapted to extend below the table 12 and to have mounted upon the lower end thereof. ayoke 25. Near the upper end of the-shaft 24C is mounted a lever 26 from the end of which extend links 27 having connection With Vthearms 2S ofthe steering knuckles 22. y Through this arrangement any rotative movement imparted .to the shaft 24 will cause a corresponding movement of the lever;267 `and through the interconnecting links 27 the Wheels V21are caused to assume an `angular position relative .to the aXle2Ofa-nd thus provide a means for `steering the automobiles 11 -fronra point underneath the table 12.

iMounted upon the rear axle 30 is a gear 31 which may be driven through an intermediate gear 32 from a pinion B3 mounted upon the shaft of a motor Bet situated Within the The rear Wheels 36 and 37are of a suitable electric cur rent Vconducting material and rest upon copper plates 38 and 39 extending along both sides of the grooves 13. These plates 38 and 39 are connected with rheostats 40 operated by the players through the medium of lever 41 mounted upon shafts 42 which. ex-

tend centrally through the steering wheel posts 43. The electric current for driving the motor 34 is introducedinto the plates 38, the strength of same beingv regulated by the respective players from the rheostats 40,`and is taken off from the plates 38 and 39 by the wheels 36 and 37 and is carried therefrom by conductors, not shown, to the motor 34; It will be noted that the wheel 36 is mounted directly upon the shaft 30 while the wheel 37 is insulated therefrom by suitable insulating material 44 and the current is taken from the wheel 37 by means of a brush 45. i

As lshown in Fig. 3 of the drawing the yoke 25 mounted upon the lower end of the shaft 24 has'the ends 46 thereof connected to a flexible cord or cable 47. lIhe cable 47 makes several turns around spools 48 and 49 `carried upnn a centrally pivoted yoke 50.

The outwardly disposed portions o1 of the cable 47 pass around sheaves 52 and cross ing at a point 53 extend over sheaves 54 and therefrom extend to the spools 48 and 49. Y

When the yoke 50 is swung into a position indicated by the dotted lines 54 those portions of the cable 47 extending from the spool 48 will be progressed as indicated by the arrow 55 while those portions connecting with the spool 49 willbe retracted as i indicated by the arrow 56, thus causing the yoke 25 to assume the position shown in dotted `lines whereupon the shaft 24 will be rotated and the wheels 21 caused to assume an angular position thus providing a means ofsteering the automobile 11 from a remote position. The disposalv of the spools and sheaves and the manner in which the cable is placed thereupon makes it possible to laterally move theyoke 25 and those portions lof the cable connected thereto without ch'anging the relative position of the yoke 25 to that of the yoke 50.

The yoke 50 is mounted upon a shaft 60 which also mounts a small beveled gear 61 enmeshed with a mitre gear 62 mounted upon a horizontally extending shaft 63. Through sets of mitre gears 64 and an interconnecting shaft 65 the gear 62 may be rotated from a shaft 66 through enmeshing of a mitre gear 67 with the mitre gear 68 mounted upon the steering post 43, thus the operation of the steering wheel 15 will cause the partial rotation of the shaft 50 and the automobile will be steered through the cable mechanism heretofore described and illustrated in detail in Fig. 3. Each of the automobiles 11 is provided with the equipment illustrated in the connection with the first machine and the steering connection from their respective steering wheels 15 is accomplished through the gearing arrangements 70.

It requiresk considerable skill to direct an automobile along such an irregular course as I have shown at 13 and I have provided a means for considerably reducing the speed of travel of the automobiles 11 when they fail to adhere to the center of their respective courses. In front of -each axle 20 I place a leg 75 which extends downwardly' through l the channel 13 as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 7. Upon the front face of the leg 75 I pivot upon a screw 76 a lever 77 having a cross arm 78 integrally formed upon the lower end thereof. The upper end 79 of the lever 77 operates between a pair of flexible blades 8O and 82 upon vwhich are mounted contact points 81.- The ends of the cross arm 78 extend somewhat beyond the confines of the leg 75 so that if the automobile is steered to one side ofthe course, the end of the cross arm will come in contact with one ef the sides 83 of the channel 14 and the lever 77'will be thrown into an angular position which will force one of the plates 8O or 82 outwardly, thus breaking the contact 81 and causing the electric current otherwise passing therethrough to be diverted through av suitable resistance before reaching the motor 34 and causing a drop in the voltage which will result-in retarding the speed of the motor.

At the ends 85 of each of the courses 13 I provide buttons 86 adapted to close contact switches 87 upon the automobiles 11 reaching the ends of their respective courses and coming inv contact with `the buttons. The closing of any of the contact switches will cause the actuation of a circuit breaker in the feed circuit from which the leads to the respective rheostats40 are taken, thus stopping all of the automobiles 11 and also closing a circuit with one of the respective i rsolenoids 88 or other suitable` magnetic means, which causes a target89 to be lifted and thus expose to view some means or word' `indicating the winner. It is especially desirable that. a means of designating thewinner be provided as in the present competitive games a great deal of argument arises when several of the objects reach the ends of their courses at apparently the same time, v

ductor 38 to the motor '34. Leads 94 Vcon- .the motors 34 by conductors 97.

A neet with therheostat t() and fromthence Aconnection is made with the `plates 39 through conductors 95. Conductors'96 lead tothe plates VS0 which have contact at 8l with the plates A82 which are connected to The amount of current delivered tothe motor is :regulated by rheostat 40 and the motor 34 isenergized causingthe automobilespto advance along their courses. `When the contacts-8l are broken due tothe automobiles ruiming into 4the side "of `the course, the current mustpass through resistances'98'which causes adrop in the `voltage and a consequent reduction in the speed of the motor which delays the automobile in itsprogress 'towardthe end otthejcourse. When one of the automobiles reaches" the end of its `course,on e ofthe buttons 86 is thrown forward and actuates a switch 87 which closes circuits 99 and 100 taken orf from the conductors '105 and'lOGleading from a battery 107;the respective solenoid 88 is energized causing the winning'autoniobile to bev indicated and'causing the actuation of an independently .tripped ycircuit breaker 110 lo l'cated inthe .conductor9l-v thus cutting off :current to all of the motorslt and stopping the automobiles at whatever position they may happento be in atthat time.

'I claim as vmy invention:

` l. Ina game; the combination of: anum? ber of competing objects; courses along which said' obj ectsxmayl be propelled means for propelling said objects along said courses; steering Ameans whereby said objects 'may be directed along said courses by the players participating in said game; means operable by said players to. control the speed of said objects along said courses; and means adaptedV to reduce the speed of travel of said objects upon their passing outside the boundaries of their respective courses. l

2. In a gaine, the combination of: a number of competing objects; courses along which said objects may be propelled; means for propelling said objects along said courses; steering means whereby said objects may be directed along said courses by the players participating in said game;

, means operable b-y said players to control the speed of said objects along said courses; means adapted to reduce the speed of travel `of' said objects upon their passing outside the boundaries of their respective courses; and means consequent upon the reaching or the end of the course by any one of said objects to cause the stopping of all of said obc jects in their respective positions.

3. In a game; the combinationof: a nuin` ber of competing objects; courses along which'said objects may be propelled; means for propelling said objects along said courses; steering. means whereby said objects may bedirectedalong said courses by the players participating 'in said game; means operable by said lplayers to Lcontrol the speed of said objects along said courses; `means-adapted toreduce the speed'oftravel of said ob-jects upon their passing outside the boundaries or their respectivev courses; and means consequent upon the reaching of the end of the course by any one of said objects tocause the stopping of all of said `objects intheirrespective positions, and the displayal or a signal indicating the winning object.

4. VIn a game; the combination or :a num- `ber of competing vvehicles; courses along which ysaid vehicles may be propelled; motors mountedby said vehicles to propel same; means for supplyingcurrent. to said motors; means (for `varying tlievstrength of saidcurrent; steering means whereby -said vehiclesmay be directed along said courses bythe players participatingin `said game; and means consequent upon the passing of said vehicles without the bounds or `said reduce the speed of the motor; and mechanism at the end of each of said courses to actuate a circuit breaker upon the reaching of the end of one of said courses by one of said vehicles whereby the supply of current to all or said motors will be discontinued.

6. In a game, the combination of: a number of competing vehicles; courses along which said vehicles may be propelled; motors mounted by said vehicles to propel same; means for supplying current to said motors; means for varying the strength of Isaid current; steering means whereby said lvehicles may be directed along said courses by theY players participating in said game; means consequent upon the passing of said vehicles without the bounds of said courses to divert said current through a resistance and thus reduce the speed of the motor; mechanism at the end of each of said courses to actuate a circuit breaker upon the reaching of the end of one of said courses by one of said vehicles whereby the supply of current to all of said motors will lbe discontinued; and mechanism at the end of each of said courses Jfor indicating the arrival j of one .of said vehicles at the end of said course respective thereto. Y l

.7. In ay game, the combination of: a number` of competing vehicles; courses along .which said vehicles may be propelled; motors mounted by `said vehicles togpropel same; means for supplying current to said motors; means for varying the `strength of .sa-1d current; steering means whereby-said vehicles may be directed along said courses by the playerspartlclpatlng .1n said game;

means consequentupon the passing ont' said vehicles Without the bounds oi' said courses to divert saidcurrentthroughva resistance and vthus reduce the speed of the motor;

mechanism at the end o1c `each of said courses to actuate a circuit. breaker upon the reaching `et the end of one oi! said courses by motors mounted bys-aidfvehiclesto` propel same; means for supplying current to said motors; means -for varying the *strengthV of said current;`steering means whereby said vehicles may be directed along courses by the players participating in saidgame; and means consequent upon the passing of said vehicles Without the bounds of said courses t0 reduce said current and thus`reduce the speed of the motor. n

9. ln a game, the combination of: avnumber `oit' Vcompeting objects; courses along which `said objects may be propelled; means for propelling "sa-id objects along said courses; steering means whereby said obthe. players `participatmg in saidv game; meansl operable by `said players to "control the speed of said objects along said courses;

jects may be directed valongysaid courses by means adapted to reduce thespeedof travel ,4

ott' said objects upon their passingoutside thev boundaries of their,` respective courses; and means consequent' upon the reaching of the end oit the course byanyonejoic said fobjects to cause the displayal of a signal indicating the Winning object., 1

ber of competing objects; courses along `Which said objects maybe propelled; means for propellingv said objects .along1 saidA l0. ln agamejthecomb'nation of a numf courses; steering means, whereby said ob- Y jects may be directedalong Vsaid courses by the players yfparticip,atingy in said game;

4means operable by said players to 4control the speed of said objects along said coursesyV means adapted to reduce the speed of travel of said objects upon their passing outside the yboundaries ot their jrespective'` courses; 'and means consequent u ponthe reaching of the end of the course by any onefof said,

objects to cause `the displayal of'a signal indicating the Winning object and to prevent Athe indication ,of -the'nsubsequent arrival of anyof the remainingcompeting objects.

ln testimony whereof, Lhave hereunto set my `hand at Los Angeles, California-` this 26th day i of Sept, 1921. j; A BENJAMIN. r. Tozinn., 

